Alex Otti, Governor of Abia State, has urged Abians not to allow apprentices into the serious business of governance.
He stated that Abia could not afford to go back to the past.
Otti made this known when a delegation from the Abia State Classic Golf and Country Club, led by Benson Ezem, its Chairman, paid him a courtesy and working visit at Government House, Umuahia.
Otti thanked the leadership of the club for the visit and their support for his administration.
He reiterated that the modest achievements of his administration are just service to the people.
“The truth of the matter is that, we have always maintained that Governance is not rocket science, but then, you cannot give what you don’t have”, Otti said.
“If you concede to your place being used to learn work, they will use you to experiment.
“What it means is that nobody wants to engage their car in reverse except if you want to go back. And, when you go back, it should be temporary and you want to go back to move forward, not to engage your car in reverse and start heading in the opposite direction. Even when you decide to do that, you must reduce your speed to avoid bumping into those who want to move forward,” he explained.
The Governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to gender balance in our society.
“There is also something about Abia State that we don’t do deliberately, but it’s just that way. After you have recognised all the people that came for the tournament on Saturday, the 19th, especially the Deputy Governor, you forgot the most important person I sent, the wife of the Deputy Governor. She was there, but nobody mentioned her. In our administration, we are very sensitive to gender. I was expecting the club to thank me for dispatching her with her husband because we know where the power lies, and she dragged her husband along and deserves to be recognised”, Otti noted.
The Governor encouraged the people and community leaders to endeavour to keep their environment tidy and protect the investment his administration is putting in Aba, including the solar streetlights, drainages and other public assets which stand the risk of being looted.
The Governor equally informed his guests of his administration’s plans for Aba-Owerri Road and emphasised the velocity of money.
“You may have noticed that we are trying to redo the Aba-Owerri Road, all the way to the beginning of Asa Road and ending at the flyover. I am sure you must also have seen the fountain we are building there. So, the whole idea is that when you are entering Aba, you will know that you are entering the commercial Enyimba City, where people don’t sleep; it is no longer a sleepy town that it used to be. We want everywhere to be lit up so that the city will actually re-assume its status as the city that never sleeps; where people operate on 24 24-hour basis; where your money never go to bed,” he noted
He encouraged the people to support the government by paying their taxes.
The Governor while reacting to a request by his guests for land around Umuahia earlier made by their Chairman, promised to look into it.
He admitted that even though Golf is an elite game for a class of people but a Golf estate would appeal to people, even outside the game of golf.
Earlier in his speech, he thanked the Governor for his infrastructural strides across the State.
He appreciated the Governor for transforming and restoring the State to its past glories.
He also thanked the Governor for sending Ikechukwu Emetu, his Deputy, and his wife to represent him at the Golf tournament in Aba recently.
He expressed his excitement that Abians are again proud to be identified as Abians.
He requested for about 120 Hectares of land located around Umuahia to be allocated by the Governor for a Golf Resort in Abia State.
The Chairman enumerated the strategic, economic, tourism and social importance of having a Golf resort in Abia State.
Jerry Kalu, a member of the club n his vote of thanks, a member of the club in his remarks thanked the Governor for his warm reception to the delegation and encouraged him to continue in his intentional positive trajectory.
